Violent start to Haiti election

[muriel_volestrangler]

Voting got off to a rough start in volatile Haiti as angry mobs stormed voting centres that failed to open on time, with one person dying of a heart attack and another of asphyxia.

Several more people were injured or fainted as they were trampled or shoved by crowds that rushed voting offices.

Many voters rose well before dawn, walked for several hours only to wait in long lines to cast their ballot in the first election since Jean Bertrand Aristide, the former president, fled the violence-wracked country two years ago. There were no reports of violence overnight.
...
Anger mounted among the massive crowds waiting outside voting centres, many of which remained closed several hours after the balloting officially started.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A03020B8-04FB-4F79-AFF2-F7EFD0CFB547.htm

[patdem]

1. Voters do not matter...WHO is counting the votes?

This is a sham of a sham of a vote...it is those who COUNT the votes who will win in the end..:grr:

[RaulGroom]

2. I don't think this one's gonna be close enough to steal

I could be wrong, but the vote suppression in the haitian elections is merely designed to make the elections look illegitimate; Bush and the Duvalierists have no real hope of winning no matter who counts the votes.

We'll see, I guess.

[patdem]

3. Well, if the elite DO steal the election there WILL be riots

and I do not believe the elites will be able to quell the outrage! The poor in Haiti have NOTHING to lose by rioting. Which is really the definition of rioting!

[rman]

5. If the elite don't win there will be something else

to arrange for them to get their way.
Probably another US military coup.

[rman]

4. Aristide did not flee

He was kidnapped by US military.


Monday, February 28th, 2005
The Haiti Coup One Year Later: A Look Back at the U.S. Role in the Overthrow of Aristide
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/02/28/1456242&mode=thread&tid=25

Wednesday, January 19th, 2005
Sen. Nelson on Haiti Coup: "Hard to Say We Support Democracy and Elections and then We Go and Push Aristide Out"
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/01/19/1510217&mode=thread&tid=25

Tuesday, March 16th, 2004
Exclusive: Aristide and His Bodyguard Describe the U.S. Role In His Ouster
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/16/1712217&mode=thread&tid=25

Monday, March 8th, 2004
EXCLUSIVE:
ARISTIDE SPEAKS TO DEMOCRACY NOW! IN MOST EXTENSIVE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE INTERVIEW SINCE HIS REMOVAL FROM HAITI
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/08/1529222&mode=thread&tid=25

Friday, March 5th, 2004
Caribbean Nations Call For UN Investigation on Ouster of Aristide In Haiti
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/05/1542244&mode=thread&tid=25

Thursday, March 4th, 2004
Rep. Barbara Lee Criticizes U.S. "Systematic Destabilization and Undermining of Democracy in Haiti"
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/04/1554231&mode=thread&tid=25

[denverbill]

6. This appears to be the new tactic of the anti-Democratic right.

Sure, everyone is 'entitled' to vote. But if there are too few voting machines and people have to wait 10 hours in line to vote, well, that's just too bad isn't it?

Republican leaders in Ohio urged Republican voters to vote absentee, and, surprise, surprise, there were huge long delays on election day at the polls. Didn't matter to Republicans though, since they had all voted early.

You can bet your ass that this was orchestrated by right-wingers right here in the US.

[K-W]

7. A colonial occupation with UN approval and support.

We fight for our government to remain within the constraints of the UN which is in itself only a small step towards reaching true international justice.

[Mithras61]

8. Did BFEE announce who "won" yet?

If it isn't "our" guy, I bet that it will be before too long...

:thumbsdown:

[cal04]

9. Vote Time Extended in Haiti Election

olling stations opened late — or not at all — and scuffles broke out Tuesday as Haitians cast ballots in the first presidential election since a bloody revolt two years ago pushed this bloodied, impoverished nation toward total collapse.


Although polls were scheduled to open at 6 a.m. EST, some did not open until hours later. Because of the organizational problems, voting hours originally set to end at 4 p.m. EST were extended by at least two hours, Rosemond Pradel, the secretary-general of Haiti's nine-member Electoral Council, told The Associated Press.

He did not give a new closing time but said there were no plans to extend voting hours into Wednesday.
A shortage of workers, missing ballots and other problems delayed the opening of some voting stations, including those used by people from Cite Soleil, a volatile shantytown at the northern edge of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060207/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/haiti_elections_12

[coffeenap]

10. Kevin Pina interviews Amaral Duclona--"most wanted man in Haiti"

http://www.haitiaction.net/News/HIP/2_1_6/2_1_6.html

Lots of background and current photos.